Tandem-spring draft-rigging.



R. E. FRAME. TANDEM SPRING DRAFT RIGQIHG.

'PPLIUATIQI IILB D DELI; 1908.

a nun-nun 1.

Patented 411 22, 1911.

n. E. FRAME.

TAIDEI SPRING DRAFT BIGGING.

APPLIOA'HOI FILED D30. 4, 1908.

Patented Au 22, 1911..

8 {HEIRS-SHEET 3.

. UNITED STATEQIETENT OFFICE.

ROBERT E. FRAME, OF ST. LOUIS. MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR T0 AMERICAN CAR & FOUNDRY COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, I LJ'SSOURI, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

TANDEM-SPRING DRAFT-RIGGING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 22, 1911.

Application filed December 4, 1908. Serial No. 465,942.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT E. rrurn, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis. Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Tandem-Spring Draft-Rigging, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to. which it appertains to make and use the same, reference bein had to the accompanying drawin forming part of this specification, in whi Figure 1 is a top plan view of a tandem spring draft rigging constructed in accordance with m invention; Fig. 2 is a view of said draft rigging, partly in side elevation, and partly in vertical section; Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken approximately on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2'; Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken approximately on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a portion of the center sill with most of the draft rigging members removed Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the intermediate stop members; and Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the rca r cud steps.

This invention relates to draft riggiugs for railway cars, and particularly to tandemspring draft riggings.

The main object of my invention is to provide a tandem spring draft riggingot improved construction for a car umlerframc aving a center sill which consists of a single member that extends from end sill to end sill.

Another Object of my invention is to provide a tandem spring draft rigging of simple construction that will effectively absorb ufiin and pulling shocks.

Re erring to the drawings which illustrate the preferred form of my invention, A designates the center still of a car underframe, said center sill consisting of a single member that extends from one end sill B of the underframe to the other end sill, not shown. The member A herein shown consists ofa rolled I-bcam but it will, of course,

be obvious that said member could be a or a. rolled flanged incmlier built-up structure of any desired shape in cross section, without departing from the spirit of my invention. The vertical web 1 of the center sill A is rovided with a longitudinally extendin 5 ct. 2, as shown in Fig. 5, so as to recure the tandem arranged springs and the 'ncctcd directly to said center sill.

followers of the draft rigging, and thestops which cooperate with said followers are con- I prefer to reinforce that portion of the vertical web of the center sill in which the slot 2 is formed, and in the construction herein shown, said reinforcing means consist of a. pair of commercially rolled angles 3 arranged on opposite sides of the web 1 and bentinto approximately U-shapc so that they will partially surround the slotv 2 in'the center sill, the vertical legs of said angles being connected to the web of the center sill by fastening devices 4 and the horizontal legs of said angles projecting laterally from said web so as to form a supporting surface for the followers and also projections to which the follower stops can be connected.

The intermediate stop with which the intermediate followers 5 cooperate. consists of four members C of the shape shown in Fig. (i said members being arranged in pairs on opposite sides of the vertical web 1 of the center sill above and below the slot). and projecting laterally from the welr l. as shown in Fig. 2. and also in dotted lines in Fig. 3. Each of the members C preferably consists of a. casting having' a vertical wall a. horizontal wall (3 arranged at right angles thereto, and side flanges or gussets 6" that tie said walls together. the inner ends of said side flanges being connected together by a cross web 6, thus producinga verystrong hollow member that is substantially box shaped. The inner vertically disposed walls (1 of. the members C are connected to portions 1 of the web 1 of the center sill that project into the slot 2 in said web. and the horizontally disposed walls (3 of the members (7 are connected to the laterally projecting flanges of the angles 3 on the center sill. The rear end stop with which the rear end follower 7 cooperates also consists of two pairs of members I arranged on opposite sides of the vertiealwcb of thc oenter sill above and below the slot 2 therein and connected to portions of said web and to the reinforcing devices 3 in practically the some manner as the memlmrs C which form the intermediate stop. The members I) are substantially box-shaped castings that conform to the curved portions of the follower supports or reinforcing devices 3 inside of which they are arranged, as shown in Fig. 2.

The stops which cooperate with t to front end followers 8 consist of two cast metal members E arran ed on opposite sides of the center sill and elnbracin the laterall projecting flanges of the ang es 3 to whic they are connected-by fastening devices 9, said members E also having vertical flanges 10 that are connected to the vertical legs of the angles 3 and to the vertical web of the center sill by'means of fastening devices 11 that. extend transversely through all of said parts. Preferably, the members E are provided with edge flanges 12 and ribs 12 for strengthening same.

The inner faces of the laterally projecting flanges of the reinforcing devices 3 on the center sill form a wide and flat bearing surface on which the followers slide, each pair of followers cooperating with a pair of springs 13 arranged between them, as shown in Fig. 2.

A horizontally disposed bar 14 is arranged between the intermediate followers 5, and a horizontally disposed bar 15 is arranged at therear of the rear end follower, as shown in Fig. 2, the pairs of members C and D, which form the intermediate stop and the rear end'stop, respectively, being so disposed that the bars 14 and 15 can pass transversely through the slot 2 in the center sill. -The shank 16 of the draw-bar extends into the slot 2 of the. center sill and butts against the front end follower 8, and said shank is provided with a horizontally disposed bar 17 that projects laterally through slots 18 in the front stop men'ibers E, the front ends of said slots 18 being open, as shown in Fig. 2, so as to permit the draw-bar to move forwardly. The transversely extending bars 14, 15 and 1.7 are connected together by means of a pair of links 19 having openings through which said bars project, and said bars are prevented from moving laterally relatively to said links by means of cotter keys 20. The openings in the links 1.), through which the bars 14 and 17 project, conform to the cross sectional-shape of said bars so that said bars willjmove simultaneously with the draw-bar but the openings in the links 19, through which the rear bar 15 projects. are elongated, as shown in Figs. .1 and 2, so that the links can move rcarwa-rdly under butting shocks without imparting movementto the rear bar 15.

When the draw-bar moves forwardly the bars 14 and 15 .will engage the followers 5 and 7, respectively, locatr l in front of same and thus compress the springs 13 that are interposed between said followers and the followers with which they cooperate, the front stops E and the intermediate stop menibcrs (l, of course; i'm-ming ahutments for the front. fo lower 8 and the intermed ate follower 5 of the rear set of springs. Under Milling-shocks the draw-bar will move rearwardly and thus move the front follower 8 'suc so as to compress the front set of s rings, and the links 19 will impart rearwar movement to the bar 14 so as to compress the rear set of springs, the elongated slots in the links 19, throu h which the bar 15 projects, permitting Stll( bar to remain at rest when the' links move rearwardly.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the entire draft rigging is carried directly by the single center sill member A and that the members 3 on the vertical web of the center sill form a wide bearing surface for the followers. The stops with which the followers cotiperate, are connected to the'center sill in a manner that the are not liable to be displaced or sheared o and said step members are so shaped that they are capable of standing great crushing strains without liability of breaking.

While I have herein stated that the center sill is provided wit-h a pair of angles bent into approximately U-sha e so as to reinforce the vertical web of t e center sill and also provide a supporting surface for the followers, T do not'wish it to be understood that my broad idea is limited to this exact construction for any suitable kind of members could be connected to the center sill to form a-support for the followers and an attachingmeans for the stops without departing fromthe spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is: v 1. In a draft rigging, a single center sill having a vertically disposed web in which a. longitudinally extending slot. is formed, devices eonnected to said web and provided with flanges that project laterally from said web, and a stop formed by a plurality of pairs of approximately hollow box-shaped cast members arranged in said slot and connected to the laterally projecting flanges on said devices; substantially as described.

2. Tn a tandem spring draft rigging, a single center sill having a vertically disposed web in which a longitudinally extending slot is formed, a draw-bar, links connectcd to said draw-bar and extending parallel to the center sill on opposite sides of the web thereof, a pair of devices connected to said links and passing transversely through the slot in the web of the center sill, a spring and a pair of followers arranged between said devices, a second spring and a pair of followers arranged between one of said device: and the end of the draw-bar, and an intermediate stop and end stops connected to the center sill and cooperating with said followers; substantially as des ribed.

3. In a tandem spring draft rigging, a single center sill having. a vertical web in which a longitudinally extending slot is formed, members connected to the vertical web'of said sill ad'acent the upper and lower edges thereof an provided with laterally projecting flanges an intermediate stop and end stops consisting of members that are connected to said laterally pro'ecting hinges and to the vertical web of the center sill, springs and cooperating followers arranged between the intermediate stop and the end stops, it draw-bar having a shank that projects into the slot in the center sill and buttsagninst the front follower, a bar extending transversely through the shank of the drawbar and also passing through open-ended slots in the front stop, and bars oooperatin with the intermediate followers and the en followers for transmitting the movements of the draw-bar thereto; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses, thls first day .of December 1908.

ROBERT E. FRAME.

Witnesses:

WELLS L. CHURCH, Gnonen BAKEWELL, 

